1 . What are your strengths ? Make it relevant to the job . If it ’ s a sales job , talk about being self confident with new people . If it ’ s a buying job , talk about your negotiation skills . If it ’ s a retail operational job , talk about leadership and people management .
2 . What are your weaknesses ? Again , bear in mind the job for which you are applying . Please avoid the clichés and , most of all , do not say “ I don ’ t suffer fools gladly .” This is the most clichéd answer of all and is cringe worthy . Saying that you ’ re a workaholic isn ’ t a bad one , nor is being a perfectionist . Do not highlight something that you know you are bad at , as the interviewer will dwell on it .
3 . Why do you want this job ? Good answers include : “ I love the brand ; I know your reputation ; I can develop .” Mid answers are : “ It ’ s more money ; it ’ s better hours ; work / life balance .” Bad answers are : “ It wasn ’ t my first choice ; the agency sent me ; I don ’ t know .”
4 . Why should we give you this job ? “ Because I know I will be good at it .” “ Because I will make you more money .” “ Because I have lots to offer .” Give examples .
5 . And why should I not give you this job ? “ I can ’ t give you a reason .” “ If you have someone who is even better .”
6 . Who do you consider to be our competitors ? This seems innocuous enough but can be a disaster if you cite the wrong people — for example , if you were to say ‘ Primark ’ when you ’ re interviewing with Harrods . Do your research . Have some answers ready that will possibly flatter the client . Try to find something about the employer that is unique . To be able to say : “ you don ’ t have a direct competitor ” is always positive .
7 . Have you been in one of our stores / restaurants ? If the answer is no , you ’ ve lost the interview already . You must have visited at least one site and have an opinion on it .
8 . What did you think of our stores ? This is fishing for a compliment . You are expected to say something good . If you have a constructive criticism , be very careful .
9 . What do you know about us ?
• You must be able to speak about anything recently in the news — especially if it ’ s good .
• You must know how many stores they ’ ve got .
• If they ’ re a public company , you must know their trading results and share price .
• If you haven ’ t looked at their website , you have already lost .
10 . What motivates you at work ? Again , it depends on the job . A sales job will be “ making sales !” A retail manager ’ s job is “ putting money in the till .” An HR job is about “ getting the most out of people .”
11 . What demotivates you at work ? “ I rarely , if ever , feel demotivated at work .”
12 . How well do you accept criticism ? A bit of honesty is always worthwhile . No one likes to be criticised . Avoid the old cliché about constructive criticism . Try , “ when someone tells me how to do something better than I am currently doing it , I enjoy it .”
13 . What is your management style ?
• Again , please don ’ t say : “ I don ’ t suffer fools easily .”
• Good words are “ calm ,” “ measured ,” “ empathetic ” and “ fair .”
• Don ’ t , ever , say “ firm but fair .” Everyone says it .
14 . Who do you admire and why ?
• You ’ re normally safe with sports people .
• Be very careful of politicians in case the interviewer is on the other side .
• Your ex-bosses are always positive ; it says you ’ re easy to work with .
15 . What would you do if your current employer counter offers you ? The only answer the employer wants to hear is that you are committed to moving on . And , you should be . Accepting a counter offer from your current employer is almost always a mistake . Remember this , they are doing it for their own expediency . Once you have accepted a counter offer , they will be planning for your eventual departure .
16 . Are you looking at other employers ? Normally , a good thing to say is “ yes .” Don ’ t be over enthusiastic about the others though , even if you are . Best to be neutral .
17 . Following on from 16 , which would be your first choice ? Unless you tell the employer that they are your first choice , you won ’ t get offered the job anyway . It ’ s actually quite insulting to tell a potential employer that they are second best .
18 . How do you see the market going in the next 12 months ? This will only apply to commercial jobs . You must have an intelligent view on this . If the economy is looking rocky then you may want to highlight that there will be challenges . On the other hand , if you know that the company is doing really well , then you should be very optimistic . More than anything , you must have an informed view .
19 . What do you think our challenges are going to be in the coming year ? Similar to 18 , you must have a view . If you know there is a competitor in the market , then say so . But be upbeat . If there is legislation that is going to affect their market , you should know .
20 . How do you feel this interview went ?
• You enjoyed it .
• If you made a gaffe , acknowledge it .
• If you discovered something you didn ’ t know , highlight it .
• Confirm your enthusiasm ( even if you ’ re not that enthusiastic about it ). Getting the job offer will do wonders for your confidence . Getting turned down for a job , even if you didn ’ t want it , is a blow .
retailappointment . co . uk 07